Approaching the social control of drugs, I: Construction of the problem
The paper aims at outlining the social process whereby drug use has been defined as a major problem of contemporary society. The beginning of profane use of drugs is located in modern industrial society, while their global spread and the establishment of the prohibition system took place in the seco...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sociological Scientific Society of Serbia
2008-01-01
|
| Series: | Sociologija |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0038-0318/2008/0038-03180802113R.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811245999280095232 |
|---|---|
| author | Radulović Dragan |
| author_facet | Radulović Dragan |
| author_sort | Radulović Dragan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paper aims at outlining the social process whereby drug use has been defined as a major problem of contemporary society. The beginning of profane use of drugs is located in modern industrial society, while their global spread and the establishment of the prohibition system took place in the second half of 20th century. The generalized notion of drugs has dissolved into three different groups: some substances (coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco) are socially accepted; others, like barbiturates or tranquilizers are legitimated by medicine, while the third group - opium, cocaine, cannabis and psychodelics - provoke social censure, exclusion and legal prohibition. The second part of the paper analyzes the process of constructing the "problem" of drug use in public discourse, mainly in the mass media. The starting assumption is that sociological analysis of any phenomenon, especially if it is stigmatized, must necessarily include a deconstruction of the discourse in which the phenomenon is defined, which involves historical and cultural contextualization, uncovering of power relations and drives to maintain the existing social order, as well as strategies of particular social groups whose interests are served by such definitions. The tactics of "moral panic" is singled out as particularly apt in these processes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T14:46:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c9361e31f01c4f609ccbb882b09f24f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0038-0318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T14:46:29Z |
| publishDate | 2008-01-01 |
| publisher | Sociological Scientific Society of Serbia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sociologija |
| spelling | doaj.art-c9361e31f01c4f609ccbb882b09f24f22022-12-22T03:28:37ZengSociological Scientific Society of SerbiaSociologija0038-03182008-01-0150211315210.2298/SOC0802113RApproaching the social control of drugs, I: Construction of the problemRadulović DraganThe paper aims at outlining the social process whereby drug use has been defined as a major problem of contemporary society. The beginning of profane use of drugs is located in modern industrial society, while their global spread and the establishment of the prohibition system took place in the second half of 20th century. The generalized notion of drugs has dissolved into three different groups: some substances (coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco) are socially accepted; others, like barbiturates or tranquilizers are legitimated by medicine, while the third group - opium, cocaine, cannabis and psychodelics - provoke social censure, exclusion and legal prohibition. The second part of the paper analyzes the process of constructing the "problem" of drug use in public discourse, mainly in the mass media. The starting assumption is that sociological analysis of any phenomenon, especially if it is stigmatized, must necessarily include a deconstruction of the discourse in which the phenomenon is defined, which involves historical and cultural contextualization, uncovering of power relations and drives to maintain the existing social order, as well as strategies of particular social groups whose interests are served by such definitions. The tactics of "moral panic" is singled out as particularly apt in these processes.http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0038-0318/2008/0038-03180802113R.pdfdrug usesocial problemssocial controlpublic spheremoral panic |
| spellingShingle | Radulović Dragan Approaching the social control of drugs, I: Construction of the problem Sociologija drug use social problems social control public sphere moral panic |
| title | Approaching the social control of drugs, I: Construction of the problem |
| title_full | Approaching the social control of drugs, I: Construction of the problem |
| title_fullStr | Approaching the social control of drugs, I: Construction of the problem |
| title_full_unstemmed | Approaching the social control of drugs, I: Construction of the problem |
| title_short | Approaching the social control of drugs, I: Construction of the problem |
| title_sort | approaching the social control of drugs i construction of the problem |
| topic | drug use social problems social control public sphere moral panic |
| url | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0038-0318/2008/0038-03180802113R.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT radulovicdragan approachingthesocialcontrolofdrugsiconstructionoftheproblem |